San Jose, California’s first civilian settlement, is located in the southern portion of
the San Francisco Bay area. Founded in 1777, San Jose was incorporated on March 27,
1850 and is the third largest community in California and the eleventh largest city in the
United States. The City encompasses 177 square miles of Santa Clara County and is
home to 917,971 residents. Located in the famed Silicon Valley, the city is ranked second
in the country based on median household income.
Fire protection within the city is provided by the San Jose Fire Department,
established on January 27, 1854. The department also provides services to approximately
fifty square miles of Santa Clara County and in FY 2001/2002 (July 1 to June 30), the
department responded to 61,110 incidents. Two thirds of the incidents were for emergency
medical incidents. The department’s thirty-one engine companies and eight truck
companies are ALS equipped and respond with at least one paramedic on board. Transport
service is provided by AMR through a contractual agreement with the County.
The department operates thirty-one fire stations with an annual operating budget
of $108 million. In addition to the standard engine and truck companies, the department
operates three urban search and rescue companies, a hazardous materials response team,
and provides fire protection to the city’s international airport. The authorized strength of
the department is 724 sworn positions. Minimum daily staffing is 196 personnel. Engine
companies are staffed with a minimum of four firefighters and the truck companies and
USAR teams are staffed with a minimum of five personnel. The city is divided into five
battalions.
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